Unfailing Innocence
by DreadnoughtDT
Summary: A gang has taken over half the US with their technological superiority. One day on patrol, two men find a fox-woman named Krystal, and take her to the HQ to test her capabilities. She is reluctant, so they hire a man named Micheal to crack her...
1. This Job Bites

Prologue

_Sometimes, the underdogs bite off more than they can chew... And end up chewing anyway._

The date is 10/21/10. The majority of the United States has been taken over by a gang named the "Kusari Syndicate". Their technology and weapons are state of the art, and they continue to expand their control over the US. However, one day on a patrol, something was found that would shake them to their core...

Chapter 1

_This Job Bites_

Two men were patrolling the slums of Arc City. They were both about the same height, but they looked far different past that. One had dark brown, almost black hair. His eyes were a deep hazel green, and his skin was fairly tan. His face had that tired look to it, as if he'd seen it all. The other was slightly shorter than the first, with very black hair and dark blue eyes. His skin was pale white, and he had a slight beer gut. They both carried pistols as they patrolled. It was lightly raining, and thunder could be heard in the distance. The air was warm, but muggy.

"I dunno." The first muttered. "That doesn't sound quite right." His voice had that sort of "I can't clear my throat" sound to it. The second scoffed.

"C'mon, Simmons! It has to be right! I know I saw something here." His voice was high-pitched, but not to the point of being unbelievable. He sounded dead sure of himself.

Simmons rolled his eyes. "Right, just like that time you KNEW that you were being stalked by Hanna Montanna, Griff."

Griff's eyes narrowed. "Hey, that was a joke and you know it!"

Simmons laughed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. And no. It wasn't a joke. You actually believed it."

Griff gritted his teeth. "Just drop it." He turned around the corner suddenly, into an alley. Simmons walked past and then turned back, looking down the alley. "Griff! What are you doing? That's not part of the-"

"This is where I saw that thing. C'mon!" He said, cutting Simmons off. Simmons sighed.

"I swear if this is like last time, when it was just a stick and two garbage lids..." He said, leaving the sentence unfinished to rub it in.

Griff turned around, his expression dry. "Shut it. Even I don't know how I mistook that for a person."

Simmons rolled his eyes again and followed Griff. "Fine. And if this is another of your stupid side-quests, I'm gonna smack you into next Tuesday. Okay?"

Griff gulped. "Um... Maybe we should go back." He turned to leave when a noise that sounded like breathing came from around a corner.

Both their eyes widened. Simmons gulped this time. "Um... Alright, let's check that out." He raised his pistol, ready for anything. Griff started creeping away, which Simmons responded to by grabbing his collar and dragging him up forward. He was shaking in his boots, his pistol barely held in his sweaty hands. They both walked forward slowly. They rounded the corner, seeing what looked like a human figure laying in a blanket. Simmons gritted his teeth. "Dammit Griff! It's just a fricking hobo!"

Griff threw his pistol to the ground. "Goddammit! This job bites..." He muttered to himself. The figure stirred.

"Who's there?" It asked. The voice was female. She sat up, but most of her body was concealed by the shadows. The part that wasn't concealed by shadow was instead concealed by her blanket.

Simmons sighed. "Sorry to have disturbed you. Now excuse my while I beat the crap out of my partner."

Griff put one finger up. "Hold it. Something seems off about her."

Simmons rolled his eyes and sighed. "And since when do YOU have any initiative about anything?"

Griff pointed at the blanket. "Is it just me, or does it look like she has a tail?"

The woman gasped and moved back into the shadows farther. "What do you mean?" She asked timidly.

Simmons walked up to her. "It's fine. My partner has had less than savory eyesight since-" He put his hand on her shoulder and immediately drew it back. "Holy crap, chick! You need to cut your hair!"

She merely stayed silent. Griff walked up to her and took her hand, then dragged her into a standing position. She was surprisingly strong for someone of a delicate frame such as hers. Griff grunted and let go, tired already. Simmons' expression went dry. "That's why you don't smoke so much." He said, and grabbed the woman's hand. He managed to drag her into the light, and he let go of her hand immediately. She wasn't human. Not at all. Her body was covered in blue and white fur, for starters. Her face was that of a fox, with a short snout and light purple eyes. She had a long, bushy blue tail with a white tip. She wasn't wearing much else but a tattered t-shirt and shorts.

Simmons and Griff's jaws both dropped simultaneously. They had never seen anything like her before. They looked at each other with looks of disbelief on their faces. Then they smiled. Simmons looked at the fox-woman. "Hold on for a few seconds." He took Griff by the collar and dragged him around the corner. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to us!" He whispered.

Griff nodded. "Yeah, yeah! Wait, it is?" He looked around the corner for a second back at the woman, then back to Simmons. "You sure?"

Simmons nodded excitedly. "Yeah, you idiot! We relay this to the boss, it'll be huge news! If we find out how she works... And quiet those thoughts, Griff, not like that. We'll be known as the guys who set us off to greatness! The Kusari Syndicate will surely recognize us!"

Griff's expression was indifferent. "I suppose. But that'll mean more work. You take the credit."

Simmons' eyes widened. "Really? Well... Okay." He went back around the corner to the fox-woman. She still hadn't tried to run. He took a deep breath and took her clawed hand. "C'mon. We gotta go."

She pulled away her hand. "No. I won't go." Simmons' expression went dry. If he blew it now, he'd never have a shot at the big leagues. He sighed. "Alright, fine. If that's the way you want it..." He started to turn away, and then slyly took a small dart gun out of his pocket. He turned back around and shot the woman with it, knocking her out instantly. Simmons looked at Griff. "You carry her and I'll try to find another patrol. Maybe they'll have a car." He walked out of the alley and waved down a car. The driver rolled down his window. "What'chu want?" He said in a gruff voice. Simmons kept his face calm. "We have a code Moonlight. We've found something interesting." The driver narrowed his eyes. "If it's like last time..." He warned.

Simmons looked back into the alley as Griff dragged the woman out. "Nothing like that." He looked at the driver again. "This is something big."

The driver happened to glance over at Griff and jumped, pulling his pistol out. "What the hell is that thing? Did you guys catch a wolf?"

Griff opted to carry the woman on his shoulder instead, and lugged her over to the car. "Not exactly." He muttered. "Look for yourself. After you open the door and let us in." The driver's eyes widened and he pressed a button, unlocking the door. Simmons was courteous enough to open it for Griff, who had his hands full. Griff gently eased her into the middle seat and put the seat belt on her. Griff sat on the left, and Simmons on the right. The driver looked back from his seat.

"So, what the hell is it?" He muttered. "Some kinda freaky Halloween costume? Cuz if it is, the boss ain't gonna be happy with you two." Griff smirked for a second. "Do you want to find out?" He looked at Simmons. Simmons grabbed the driver's arm and placed his hand on the woman's shoulder. The driver immediately withdrew his hand. "She's warm, and that fur feels so real!"

Simmons laughed. "No sh!t, sherlock. She's really real. That's no costume." The driver laughed nervously. "Alright, the boss is gonna love this." He floored the gas pedal, flying through intersections, stop signs, everything that would impede his progress normally.

Griff struggled to keep the woman from falling over. Simmons tried to help, but kept impeding Griff. Griff muttered something about having the crappiest job ever when they pulled into what used to be the police department. The ACPD. Arc City Police Department. Former police department, that is. Griff unbelted the woman and lugged her over his shoulder again after he got out of the car. Simmons got out on the other side, and the two met up in front of the department. The now HQ of the Kusari Syndicate.

Simmons took a deep breath. "You ready?" He asked Griff. Griff grunted. "Yeah yeah yeah! Let's go so I can get this fox... Woman... Thing off my shoulder!" Simmons rolled his eyes and walked inside. All the gang members inside immediately turned to look at them. Several comments flew by as they walked through to their bosses office.

"What the hell is that thing? Did you guys go to a Halloween party?" One jeered.

"I dunno, dude! That thing looks real!" Another said to the first.

"Look at how it's tail moves! It has to be real!" A third one said.

Griff and Simmons ignored them all and stepped up to the bosses door. Two large bouncers moved in front of the door. "What's yer business?" One asked with a dark tone. Simmons pointed to the woman. "That's our business. Now move." The bouncer laughed. "That thing ain't real!" The second one took a step forward. "Get yer friend in the costume outta here. The boss only talks to important people." Simmons' expression went hard and dry. "Alright, then we'll prove it. Touch her."

The second bouncer grabbed the woman's arm gently and held it there. "That feels pretty real... The fur, the skin, and she's warm to the touch, too." Even though they looked big and tough, these bouncers knew their stuff. Probably the two smartest of the lot in the room at the moment. "Alright, she's real. I believe you." He turned to the other bouncer. "Let 'em in. The boss'll love this." The other bouncer took a key from his belt and unlocked the door, walking to the side. Simmons and Griff, along with the woman, went inside.

The boss was a thin, well groomed man with bright green eyes and thinning gray hair. His face showed that he was extremely tired at the moment, and probably wanted to make the meeting short. However, that changed as soon as Griff and Simmons came into the room with the fox-woman. He leaned back into his chair and folded his hand. "So, what can I do for you two gentleman tonight?" His voice, while carrying a slight British accent, was so snakelike it made Griff and Simmons shiver. Griff took a deep breath. "Simmons found this on our patrol and thought you might want to see it." He said as calmly as he could.

The boss looked at the woman with his expression indifferent. "And you want me to see... That?" He said, pointing. Simmons nodded. "Yes sir. It's no costume. This woman is 100% real. If you don't believe me, feel free to prove me wrong." He suddenly wished he hadn't had talked so candidly. But the boss made no expression that would constitute anger. Instead he got out of his chair, walked around his desk, and placed his hand on the woman's shoulder. "She certainly seems real enough. Now, I was wondering what sort of applications you would have for her." He smiled. "Do you have any suggestions, or should I do what I want?"

Griff and Simmons looked at each other. "We don't know, sir. We thought you'd have it thought out when we got here... But this is a whole new ball game, isn't it?" Simmons said. The boss laughed. "Stop calling me "sir". It's annoying. My name is James, remember?" James sat back into his seat and folded his hands again. "I have an idea for her. Get her to a cell." Simmons and Griff took the woman out of the room and closed the door behind them.

James smiled to himself. "This has got to be the single greatest thing to happen to us in all of history..." He muttered to himself.


	2. Research & Development

Chapter 2

_Research & Development_

James walked through the empty cell halls. The fox-woman had been surprisingly troublesome. As soon as she'd regained consciousness, she'd managed to knock out three guards and kill another. Simmons and Griff were among the injured. She had finally been contained when a researcher was attacked and a syringe full of anesthesia flew from his hand and into her shoulder. The researcher sustained only minimal injuries.

James sighed. "Statistics, death counts... She's more trouble than she's worth." He muttered, yet he found himself still walking towards her cell. The guards outside her cell stood at attention when he reached them. He dismissed them and opened the door. The woman was sitting on the bed, looking at the floor. James took a deep breath and closed the door behind him. "So, are you done with your blood rage?" He asked, slightly annoyed. The woman nodded slowly. James regarded her coldly. "Good. Now, why are you here?"

She shook her head. "I don't know." By her tone of voice, she sounded like she was lying. James smirked. "Defiant, aren't you?" The woman turned to look away, silent. James' expression turned dry. "At least tell me your name, woman." She sighed. "Krystal."

James walked in front of her. "Do you have a last name?" She shook her head. "No, I don't." She sounded sincere this time. James gritted his teeth. "Alright then. Where are you from?" She looked him in the eye for a second, and then looked away. "I don't know." James' expression went hard. "Now listen here, if you don't tell me what I want to know, then I'll have my guards torture it out of you."

Krystal looked at him defiantly. "I don't care." She said quickly, her tone bitter. James looked as if he was about to pop a vein. "That's fine then. I'll see to it they come up with something for you to care about!" He stormed out of the room and looked at the two guards. "Bring her to the torture labs! Tell the doctors to run some experiments. See if she'll talk then..." The guards looked at Krystal. "A-a-are you sure?" One asked, scared. James pointed a pistol at the guard's head. "Does it look like I'm sure?" He growled. "Keep your guns trained on her. She can't do anything if she's dead."

The guards went into the room and grabbed Krystal's hand. She didn't resist. She let herself get pulled to the torture lab. Unlike the rest of the place, it was stark white and very clean. There were two men there, and they looked identical. Both with short cut black hair and dark blue eyes. They both wore white lab smocks. The guards snapped their fingers, getting the men's attention. "Leonard, Wolfgang!" They both turned instantly. "Yeah?" They said at the same time.

The guards shoved Krystal forward. "We got a special one for you two." Both their eyes widened. Leonard stepped forward and leaned in very closely, close enough to make her draw back a few inches. "She is very different." He muttered and jotted down a note. "Yes, quite." His brother Wolfgang agreed. "Well, enough dallying. Follow us." Leonard put his notepad down and took Krystal to a larger chamber.

Her jaw dropped. There were many torture devices on the walls. Most of them unspeakable, destructive, or downright inhumane. Leonard and Wolfgang both smiled. "Welcome to your home for the next couple days." Leonard said. Wolfgang stepped forward. "That is, unless you tell us what we want to know right now. Then we'll let you go." She gulped, but stood her ground. "No." She said defiantly. Leonard and Wolfgang's smiles broadened. "Well, that's unfortunate... For you." They grabbed her and dragged her to a table with a hole in the middle of it.

"So, I'll ask you a trivial question, girl. Do you know the world's flora? Do you know about how fast bamboo grows?" Wolfgang said devilishly. They strapped her down onto the table. The hole was at about the small of her back. She looked away from the doctors. "No, I don't know how fast it grows." She said, her voice cold. Leonard laughed. "You'll find out soon enough!" He said as he walked away. Wolfgang walked away with him, snickering. Krystal sighed and shifted a bit when she felt something sharp poke her in the back. She almost yelped, but steadied herself. She shifted back to her original position and sighed. "So that's what they meant..." She muttered to herself. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the steadily growing plant underneath her. The white patterns on her wrists, back, ankles, and shoulders glowed softly. The plant suddenly snapped in half, then crushed into a small disk. A gasp came over the intercom.

Leonard looked at his brother. "Did you know she could do that?" He asked, startled. Wolfgang shook his head excitedly. "No, no I didn't! She's a psychic! We must run more tests!" They ran back into the chamber, breathless, and ran up to Krystal and untied her. "How did you do that?" Leonard asked, excited. She took a deep breath. "I don't know... I was born with it." She was being sincere that time. Leonard nodded. Wolfgang smiled. "And how do you use it?" He asked with a huge grin on his face. She looked at him with a dry expression. "That's something I won't tell you." Wolfgang's grin immediately disappeared and was replaced with a sad frown. "Well, that's a bit of a downer... I guess we'll just have to take something from you, then."

Krystal looked at him confused. "Take what from me?" She asked, slightly scared. Leonard produced a syringe from behind him. "A bit of your blood, is all." Krystal took a step back. "That's not a good idea." She said, her voice flat. Leonard nodded at Wolfgang. Before Krystal knew it, a different syringe was in her shoulder. Another anesthetic. However, this one was less powerful. Krystal slumped to the ground, suddenly weak. "I'm afraid you have no choice." Leonard said, triumphant. He stuck the syringe into her arm and extracted a blood sample. "Your blood, as long as it's in this syringe, is my property." Krystal got to her knees and looked at the syringe. "I can fix that..." She said weakly. The patterns on her body glowed again, and the syringe shattered, spattering Leonard with blood. He grunted and wiped at his smock, but to no avail.

"THAT is going to cost you, my dear." He said darkly. Wolfgang picked up Krystal and held her. "Give it to her good, brother!" Wolfgang said in his raspy voice. Leonard drew his hand back and readied a punch. He punched her, hard in the stomach. "That is what you get for messing with us." He said, angry. Wolfgang let her fall to the floor. "Indeed. Good shot, brother." He said, happy. Krystal groaned, her stomach aching. Leonard took another syringe and took another blood sample. "Based on observation, you can only use your abilities when you're able to concentrate on an object. And now all you can concentrate on is pain." He said evilly. "Poor you." He added sarcastically. Krystal growled but stayed doubled over.

Leonard smiled bitterly and walked over to a sequencer. "This shall record your DNA and see if it matches any earth fauna. Lucky you, I suppose." Krystal gritted her teeth. "Shut it, you blood-stained lunatic." She said in a dark tone. Leonard ignored her and placed the blood sample in the sequencer. "It would do you much good to stay quiet." He said angrily, and ripped a piece of his sleeve off. "This will help." He grabbed Krystal's head by the hair and had Wolfgang tie the scrap around her mouth. "Isn't that much better?" He said, his voice thinly hiding a fury that was reaching boiling point.

Krystal didn't struggle. She'd already gotten him to hurt her once. She wasn't about to do it again. Especially when she was in such pain as it is. She sighed and tried to block out the pain. It worked. Sort of. She managed to dull the pain, but not block it out. She sighed. _It's no use..._ She thought. _The pain's too great to ignore._ She struggled to her knees. "Leonard... Can I please... Get some water or something?" Leonard half turned to look at her. "Like hell." He said over his shoulder as he worked. He pressed a button on a small device. "Take the girl back to her cell. She is of no use staying here right now."

Two guards immediately walked into the room and grabbed Krystal. She wanted to stay doubled over to decrease the pain, but she was so weak, she couldn't resist. They brought her back to her cell, layed her on the bed, then shut the door and locked it. She stayed on the bed, still doubled over. The pain wasn't as bad now, but Leonard had hit her pretty hard. She ignored it and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, the sequencer had finished it's testing. And all results came back negative. Her DNA was unlike anything on earth. Leonard and Wolfgang looked at each other, their eyes wide. "Do you know what this means?" Leonard said with a look of shock on his face. Wolfgang nodded quickly. "She's not of earth! She's an alien!" They ran out of the room to James' room. They ran right past the bouncers and threw the doors open, startling James. "We have results!" Leonard yelled into the room. James gritted his teeth. "Well then, spit it out." He said, impatient. Wolfgang showed the papers to James. "Her DNA doesn't match any fauna on earth! She's an alien, through and through! And she has psychic powers, too."

James leaned back and regarded the two with cold eyes. "I see. I think I know a few good applications for her now... We should call in a specialist to make her cooperate, first." He picked up the phone that was on his desk and dialed a number. "He's very good at his job." He said, smiling one of his vicious smiles towards the twins.


	3. Vicious Cycle

Chapter 3

_Vicious Cycle_

A large black car pulled into the front of the HQ. It's door opened slowly and a thin, tall man with blond hair and ice blue eyes walked out and towards the entrance, his thin-soled shoes making no sound on the pavement, and he was carrying a small breifcase. The bouncers immediately moved out of the way to let him in. He walked past everyone, not looking at anything but the door straight ahead. His new temp bosses office. He opened them quickly.

James smiled at the newcomer. "Hello, Micheal. I understand you're a torture expert?"

Micheal nodded. "That's my job. Freelance torture. How may I help you today?" He said in a dry tone.

James looked Micheal in the eye. "I need you to help torture this woman-"

"I don't torture women." Micheal said, cutting James off. "It's against my morals."

James' eyes narrowed. "That wasn't in your job description."

Micheal's face stayed icy. "I let everyone know that ahead of time. Guess you didn't hear me." He turned to leave, but the two guards in the room turned their guns on him.

James got out of his chair. "Too bad so sad, Micheal. You're taking this job, or you die."

Micheal weighed his options. Every scenario in his head ended up with his death, all except for one. "Fine. I'll do what you want." He said grudgingly.

James smiled bitterly. "I'm glad we had this discussion." He said triumphantly. He pointed to the door. "Out the door and to your left. Third cell to the right on the second level. If you can't remember that, she's in the only occupied cell."

Micheal gritted his teeth. "I'm not stupid." He said darkly and stepped out of the room. _Goddamn gang members... _He thought. _Can't trust any of 'em. I better get out of here when I get a good chance. _He walked through the cell block and up the slightly rusted stairs to the third cell on the right. He opened the thick door and gasped when he saw Krystal.

Krystal looked at him, a tired look in her eyes. "Are you the new guy?" She asked, her voice groggy.

Micheal nodded. "Yeah... And before you say anything about how I'm twisted or something, I didn't know I'd be torturing a woman. Especially not one like you."

Krystal looked at the floor. "I know. I heard you talking in the other room."

Micheal's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? The walls are made of thick concrete, there's no way you could have..."

Krystal looked Micheal in the eye. "I can hear people's thoughts." She said very seriously.

Micheal looked around for a second. He closed the door behind him and sat next to Krystal on the bed. "Why are you telling me this when you didn't even budge for the others?" He said, puzzled. He hadn't even started torturing her and she was opening up to him like a cracked walnut.

Krystal put a black clawed finger to Micheal's chest. "Your heart. It's pure. I can sense it. You don't want to torture anybody. You just need the money, and this is the highest paying job out there. If you could, you'd go back and fix everything you did wrong to other people."

Micheal's eyes widened. He'd never told that to anyone, but here this fox girl was telling it all back to him. He was speechless, only able to make garbled gibberish sounds.

Krystal laughed a bit. "Don't act so surprised. I said I can hear people's thoughts. I wasn't kidding."

Micheal cleared his throat. "Um, well, yes." He shook his head. "Alright, alright... What else can you do?" He asked, extremely curious.

Krystal thought for a second. "I don't know. My full potential lies untapped. But I can break things if I concentrate hard enough." Micheal nodded.

"Okay... Do you have any fighting skills?" He asked.

Krystal smirked. "I knocked out three guards and killed a fourth before they subdued me. I think that's pretty good fighting skills." She laughed. "Especially considering they had guns."

Micheal's face turned back to his indifferent tone. "Why are you laughing? Don't you hate it here?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do. But with someone as pure of heart as you around, I feel much more comfortable."

Micheal checked his watch. 12:15 AM. He sighed. "I see." He looked into her deep purple eyes. "And since you can hear thoughts... You know what they'll do to me if they don't get results from me, right?"

Krystal nodded solemnly and put a furred hand on Micheal's hand. "I do know. And I don't think someone as pure as you deserves that." She looked him in the eye. "I'll tell you what they want to know so you can stay safe."

Micheal's heart suddenly felt heavy. "But I'd rather lose my life so you can keep yours." He said, his voice still calm. He moved his hand away from hers. "I won't let them do anything to you. It's against my morals." He said seriously.

Krystal sighed. "I just don't want you getting hurt." She said, her tone suggesting she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Micheal gritted his teeth, but sighed and took Krystal's hand. "Alright. Tell me everything."

Krystal nodded. "As you have already probably guessed, I'm not from this world. I'm from a different planet, called Cerinia. It was destroyed, unfortunately... I was, as far as I can tell, the only survivor. After that, it's blank for a long time. Then I came to Earth. I don't know how. I just remember waking up one morning and I was here." She took a deep breath. "I stayed here for a year undetected. Then two people from this gang, Simmons and Griff, found me. They took me here, and tried to torture me and get me to open up to them. That's when they noticed that I was psychic. I could destroy things when I concentrated on them." She stopped for a second. "They took a blood sample from me, then beat me up a little and gagged me. See?" She pointed to the torn cloth on the ground. "After that, they found out I was an alien. So they want to make me a soldier or something."

Micheal listened carefully through the story. "That's awful. Sounds like you've had a rough life." He squeezed her hand gently. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. What say you that tomorrow, we find a way to get you out?"

Krystal nodded. "I would very much like to get out..." Micheal got up, letting go of her hand. She grabbed it again, gently. "Hold on! How are we going to do it?" She asked, slightly scared.

Micheal looked back at her and smiled. "We'll wing it." He said and walked out of the room, back to James' office. The bouncers moved out of the way again as he walked through. "I have results." He said calmly.

James smiled. "Oh? That didn't take long." He laughed a bit. "I guess you truly are an expert." He leaned forward. "So, tell me everything she told you."

Micheal took a deep breath and relayed the information to James. "It sounds like you guys really want her." He added at the end.

James leaned back in his chair. "More than you know. We shall also keep you here tonight, in case she has anything else to say tomorrow. In fact, you're going to be sharing a room with her." He smiled viciously.

Micheal's brow furrowed. "What, am I your prisoner now?" He said, slightly angered.

James' smile broadened. "Indeed. Now, go to your cell or I'll have my guards drag you there." He leaned back and folded his arms.

Micheal scoffed and turned back to the doors. "Fine." He muttered under his breath. He walked back to Krystal's cell and jumped as the heavy door slammed behind him. Krystal looked up at him from the bed.

"You're his prisoner too?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Micheal nodded. "Yeah. This blows." He sat on the bed next to Krystal and put his face in his hands. "I've never been in a hostage situation before..." He muttered.

Krystal put a hand on his shoulder. "This is actually better for us. We can get out together more easily this way."

Micheal looked at her. "How? Did you come up with a plan in the ten minutes I was gone?" He asked.

Krystal smiled. "Actually, I did. Tomorrow, when they ask you to torture me, say that you're having trouble and ask to go to the torture labs. After that, we can stealthily knock out a couple guards and take their guns. Then we can get out guns blazing and lay low for a while."

Micheal layed down on the bed and Krystal did the same. Micheal sighed. "Alright. For our sakes, I hope it works." He reached up to the light switch and flicked it off, then dozed off.


	4. Escape

Chapter 4

_Escape_

Micheal shifted in his sleep, and then woke up with a start, his heart racing. He looked over to Krystal, who was still sleeping. Or so he thought. She got up a bit after he did and looked at him with tired eyes. She seemed concerned.

"Did you have a bad dream?" She said in a caring tone.

Micheal nodded. "Yeah, how did you-" He cut himself off as he remembered what Krystal could do. "Never mind." He trailed off.

Krystal smiled slightly. "I can read minds, remember?" She said in a matter of fact tone. She laid back down. "That was one heck of a dream you had." She added.

Micheal took a deep breath. It was the dream that he'd had ever since his first gig as a torturist... The nightmare of his first victim's death. It haunted him almost every night, like a specter that even the strongest exorcist couldn't get rid of. Everything was always dark, blood red in that dream. Very surreal. He was watching from his point of view, but he had no control over his actions. He always raised a scalpel and started hacking into a woman's flesh. Cutting, stabbing, slicing down to the very bone until she breathed no more. That's when he always woke up.

Micheal sighed. "Yeah, it was. And I've had it recurringly, too... It's why I don't torture women anymore."

Krystal nodded. "With a dream like that, I wouldn't either. Besides..." She smiled challengingly. "Would you really want to torture pretty defenseless me?"

Micheal couldn't help but smile. "Defenseless? I beg to differ!" He laughed a bit. "You took out three armed guards, remember?"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the solid metal door. "Boss wants to see you, Micheal. Up and at 'em."

Micheal rolled his eyes and got out of the bed, and looked back at Krystal. "I'll be back, I hope." Krystal took his hand for a second.

"Be strong." She said softly. Micheal nodded.

"I promise to be back for you. This injustice can't live forever." He said confidently. He opened the door quickly, almost hitting the guard outside, and strode off to James' office. He swung open the doors slowly. "You wanted to see me?" He said coldly.

James nodded. "Yes, I wanted to know if you got any more information out of her." He regarded Micheal with an indifferent face. "Did you?" He added in an icy tone.

Micheal shook his head. "No. I wanted to use the torture labs, if I could. She is surprisingly reluctant to talk to me after our first chat. I can imagine why, considering all the things I did to her." He was trying to play up his game to get James to believe him. When James' expression turned slightly less cold, he thought he was winning him over.

James leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in typical fashion. "I see. However, I cannot allow you access to the torture labs."

Micheal raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why not?" He said, hoping he wasn't prying.

James smirked. "It's in use at the moment." He had an expression on his face that read "And I'm not telling you any more than that".

Micheal took a deep breath. "Alright then. Is that all?" He asked with an indifferent tone.

James nodded. "Yes. Back to your cell. And keep prying at her." He smiled viciously. "She'll snap eventually."

Micheal walked wordlessly out of the office and back to the cell. The guard opened it up and slammed it shut as soon as he got inside. Krystal looked him in the eye.

"Didn't work, did it?" She asked, a disappointed tone in her voice.

Micheal shook his head. "No. The boss, James, I think is his name..." He paused. "Wait, how do I know that? No one's ever told me that..." He looked at Krystal. "You told me, didn't you?"

She shrugged. "I may have had something to do with it." She said, feigning innocence.

Micheal sighed. "Anyway, James told me that the torture labs are in use. For what, I don't know. He wouldn't tell me." He furrowed his brow. "Something doesn't seem right." He added to that.

Krystal nodded, her expression serious. "Nothing seems right here, Micheal."

Micheal sat down on the bed. "You know my name now, Krystal?" He said, before realizing that he hadn't known her name until a few seconds ago. "Stop doing that!" He muttered. "It's weird." He folded his hands together, thinking. "What if..." He started, then started thinking again.

Krystal sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Go on." She prompted.

Micheal nodded. "What if you broke the lock? That way, we could escape even faster than if we went to the torture labs. We'd just have to go down the stairs a bit, take a right, and then run to the door." He smiled. "That would be so easy..."

Krystal thought it over. "Maybe. But what happens if one of us is injured?" She said, trying to think of the endless possibilities. "There's too many ways this can go wrong."

Micheal's expression turned solemn. "I know. But we have to take this risk, or we'll never get out of here."

Krystal looked at the floor when she felt Micheal grab her hand. He looked at her deep purple eyes. "C'mon. Please."

Krystal thought for a few more seconds and then nodded. "Yes. It's our only chance." She looked at the door and her eyes began to glow white like the symbols on her body. Micheal heard a small "snick" noise as the lock was broken apart. Krystal's eyes stopped glowing, but the symbols stayed lit. "It is done. Let's go." She psychically slammed the door open, knocking one guard away. She leapt out the door and kicked the second guard in the temple, knocking him out. She picked up his gun and threw it to Micheal. "You'll need it." She said quickly, and was off.

Micheal ran out of the room and aimed around for a few seconds before taking off after Krystal. The guard the Krystal had hit with the door wasn't out cold, and had radioed for help. Several dozen guards and gang members were gathered in the next room. Micheal locked his jaw and ran into the crowd, firing like mad. He managed to kill several people before getting shot at himself and having to run back. "Well, this is bad." He muttered as gunfire spat past his face around the corner.

Krystal's eyes began to glow again. There was a low rumble and then a large crash as something heavy fell. Micheal looked around the corner at the group, or what was left of it. Krystal had made the ceiling collapse, crushing most of the gang members. She then held her arm out towards the door, and it flew off it's hinges and into the street.

Micheal's car wasn't in the street. He cursed under his breath. "That's just great." He muttered. "It's probably in the parking lot behind here. Where most of the thugs are."

Krystal ran to the corner of the building and looked around it. "There aren't any people there." She whispered to Micheal as he came up to her. "They are all investigating the reason behind the ceiling's collapse." She took off running, Micheal not far behind.

As he ran, Micheal fished the car key out of his pocket. "Do you see the car?" He shouted to Krystal. She nodded and pointed.

"It is over there." She said as she took a huge leap and landed right next to it. "Toss me the keys!" She yelled to Micheal.

Micheal threw the keys over the car to Krystal when he reached the passenger's side. "Wait, do you know how to drive?" He said, worried. She looked at him and smiled deviously.

"I learned from the best." She said, looking at Micheal for a second longer before getting in the car. Micheal got in right after.

Micheal threw the gun in the back seat. "Floor it, Krystal!" He shouted. "Take us anywhere but here!"

Krystal shifted the car into reverse and backed it up quickly, then shifted to drive and accelerated forward out of the parking lot. Several gunshots whipped past, but they all went stray as Krystal steadily sped up the car. She turned into a busy intersection, but managed to avoid all the cars.

Micheal was almost pressed into the seat. "My apartment is over there!" He said, and pointed to a small two story apartment complex. Krystal took a hard right and sped into the driveway, then brought it to a hard stop. Micheal sat gasping for a second, and then started laughing. "Well, holy hell in a handbasket, I guess we made it." He slumped into his chair slightly. "We made it..." He repeated.

Krystal took a deep breath and put the car into park, then got out of the car. "Yeah, we did, didn't we?" She looked back at Micheal, who was getting out of the car as well. "That was one heck of a ride." She added.

Micheal smiled. "Oh, hell yeah." He took Krystal's hand. "C'mon, it's early. I bet no one's awake yet, so we should be able to sneak you into my apartment."

Meanwhile, James was walking through his recently renovated headquarters towards the torture labs. He slammed open the door and strode past Leonard and Wolfgang, clearly upset. He walked into a room that was marked as toxic and smiled as a purple glow radiated his face. In the middle of the cylindrical glow was a shadowed figure. James turned on the light and walked forward, one of his trademark vicious smiles on his face...


	5. Brief Respite

Chapter 5

_Brief Respite_

Micheal groggily opened his eyes and looked around slowly. He was in his apartment, lying in bed with only his boxers on, and it was still dark. He sighed. "It was a dream...?" He muttered and moved to scoot over when he bumped someone. A person. His breath caught. "Not a dream." He said to himself and got up a bit to look.

Krystal stirred and got up slowly, looking at the digital clock that softly illuminated the room with it's green glow. It read 4:00 AM. She looked over to Micheal and smiled softly. "That was some scary stuff last night, wouldn't you agree?"

Micheal rubbed his eyes and laid back down. "Yeah. It was."

Krystal laid on her side, facing Micheal, and held his hand. "But we made it out alive. That's the important part, right?"

Micheal sighed. "Yes, but I can't believe that all was real..." He looked at Krystal, a look of slight disbelief on his face.

Krystal nodded. "I can imagine it's a lot for someone to take it. Also..." She leaned over to Micheal and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I didn't get to thank you for rescuing me before. So consider that your thanks." She smiled sweetly.

Micheal put a hand to where Krystal had kissed him and stammered a bit. "Th...Thanks, I guess." He then looked at her, wearing only her two-piece. "Y'know, those clothes you had before really didn't suit you. They were old and mucky. I'll find something more suitable for you." He got out of bed and cracked his back, then his neck and knuckles. His shoulder was sore because he had slept on his side all night. He walked to his closet and moved all his clothes out of the way. At the back of the closet was a small box. He opened it, taking out a black t-shirt and some tight fitting jeans. He turned to Krystal, the clothes in his hands. "Would these fit you?"

Krystal cocked her head to the side. "Maybe. We'd have to cut a hole for my tail, though."

Micheal smiled. "What's with the "we" stuff? You're gonna have to do it. I don't know where to cut." He grabbed a shirt and pants from the closet and quickly put them on, then walked to the kitchen and opened a drawer, taking a scissors from it. He returned to the bedroom and handed the clothes to Krystal, then the scissors. He then walked to the living room and turned on the TV, sitting on the two-seat couch.

Less than a minute later, Krystal walked into the room wearing the clothes Micheal had given her. Needless to say, they made her look a lot different than the loose, baggy clothes she'd been wearing before. She smiled when she noticed that Micheal was staring. "I take it you like what you see?" She said jokingly.

Micheal nodded. "Those clothes fit you." He said. "I like them. But they have a bad history behind how I got them."

Krystal sat next to him on the couch. "What is that?" She said, intrigued.

Micheal thought for a moment, then started speaking. "They belong to my ex." He said quietly. "She didn't want anything to do with me after a certain incident, and she left those clothes here to remind me of "what a terrible boyfriend" I was." He chuckled bitterly. "She was stuck up anyway. I didn't like her."

Krystal nodded. "From your memories, I can deduce that she was selfish, cruel, and not at all pleasant to be around." She smiled deviously. "She wasn't much to look at either."

Micheal laughed. "No, no she wasn't. In fact, she was pretty ugly. Don't know why I went out with her..." The reason why escaped him at the moment.

Krystal shrugged. "Not like it matters, right?" She put a hand on Micheal's shoulder. "You have me now."

Micheal nodded and leaned his head on Krystal's shoulder. "That I do. That I do." He said. He finally felt love for the first time, and he was savoring every moment of it.

James turned to Leonard and Wolfgang. "How long until she's ready for activation?"

Leonard looked at his brother. "If the tests are correct, which they often are, then she could be awakened now. All we need to do is give her a name."

James shook his head. "A name? She doesn't need such petty..." He trailed off as a perfect name came to mind. "She will be called "Kursed". I think that fits her perfectly." He turned to Wolfgang, who was manning the controls to the stasis tank. "Now. Awaken her."

Wolfgang nodded and pressed a button, then entered a code into a keypad. The stasis tank opened into several sections, the violet liquid that was inside spilling out. The figure inside slowly was revealed as the liquid spilled out more and more. She was a fox-woman, like Krystal, but her fur was a dark, almost black shade of purple and the runes on her wrists, ankles and back were a bright red. She was almost nude, wearing nothing but a two-piece undergarment. She opened her bright red eyes suddenly, and they fixed on James right away.

James walked forward. "Good morning, Kursed." He said in a bright tone. "I trust you slept well?"

Kursed ripped the cords from her arms and legs and jumped out of the tank. "Fairly well, all things considered." She said in a flat tone. "Now, what is it you want?"

James folded his hands. "Ah yes, of course. I need you to kill this person." He dug in his pocket for a photograph of Krystal and showed it to Kursed. "She has been impersonating you. Rather poorly, too."

Kursed took the photograph forcefully and studied it closely. "She couldn't pass herself off as me if she tried." She said sternly. "She is a very flawed copy." She added.

James nodded. "This I know. All we need for you to do is track her down and kill her, along with the man that ran off with her. That isn't too much trouble, is it?"

Kursed looked at the photograph in her hand again and watched with destructive delight as it burst into flames and crumbled in her hand. "No. No it is not."

James smiled. "Perfect! We've got a car for you already outsi-"

"I don't require transportation." Kursed said quickly, cutting James off. "I prefer walking." With that, she walked briskly out of the room and to the barracks, taking a gang member's clothes and putting them on. She pulled a hood over her head and put her hands into the pockets of her jeans, then walked out of the building, keeping her face in shadow.

Krystal suddenly noticed that she had a headache, as if someone's thoughts were in direct conflict with her's. She put a hand to her forehead, thinking it may be a fever of some kind, but it felt normal. She looked at Micheal. "Micheal, can you get me something for my head?" She asked, trying to mask the pain.

Micheal nodded. "Sure. Hold on." He got up from the couch and came back with a pill and a glass of water in hand. "Put the pill under your tongue, take a swig of water and then swallow the pill. That's what I do."

Krystal did as she was instructed. "Alright. Hopefully that fixes it..." She didn't sound very sure of herself.

Half an hour passed, and Krystal's headache wasn't improving. In fact, it was getting worse. She felt like something was getting closer. There was a knock at the door of the apartment. Micheal checked the peephole. He saw a hooded figure with it's hands in it's pockets...


	6. What We Are

Chapter 6

_What We Are_

The door burst into splinters, sending Micheal flying. Krystal was immediately on her feet and ran to the door, tackling the hooded figure. The figure laughed.

"You are my imitation?" She said in an amused tone. "You couldn't pass as me if you tried."

Krystal got up and grabbed the figure's throat, then slammed her against the wall. Several confused shouts came from the other apartments, distracting Krystal for a brief moment. That was all the time the figure needed to kick her in the gut, making her release her grip, and then spin kick her in the side of the head.

"How pathetic." She said as she walked over to the prone Krystal. "Your power is nothing compared to mine." She heard a click behind her and quickly turned to see Micheal holding a pistol to her head.

"Leave her alone." He said in a low tone of voice. "Or you'll have a hole in your head."

The figure laughed again. "Not likely." She said. The gun began to heat up in Micheal's hands and he dropped it, causing a shot to ring out and shoot out the window.

Krystal was soon at her feet again. "Why do you call me an imitation?" She said, confused.

The figure took her hood off, revealing her face, and her bright red eyes. "Because you are my fake." She said in a dark tone.

Krystal scoffed. "Nonsense! YOU are MY fake." She said, sure of herself. "What's your name then?" She asked.

The figure smiled evilly. "I am Kursed."

Micheal laughed despite his burned hand. "The name suits you, lady." He said, aiming a punch at Kursed with his good hand. Kursed's eyes glowed red, and Micheal was suspended in midair. Krystal took the opportunity to grab Kursed and throw her into the kitchen. Kursed growled and took a butcher knife from the small knife set there. She threw it at Krystal, who stopped it in midair and made it harmlessly drop to the ground. Kursed clenched her fists and her eyes glowed again, causing the refrigerator to fly towards Krystal. Krystal just barely moved out of the way, and grabbed the knife that was on the ground. Micheal, still in the living room, had picked up his pistol and was again trying to aim a shot. Krystal and Kursed threw punch after kick after punch at each other, decimating the kitchen. Kursed took the entire knife set and threw them all at Krystal, who threw them back. Kursed then finally had had enough and sent a wave of telekinetic energy at Krystal, making her fly backwards and through the wall into the adjacent bedroom.

"Krystal!" Micheal yelled, running to her. She lay on the floor of the bedroom, caughing up small amounts of blood. Kursed walked through the hole in the wall, a confident smirk on her face.

"You are so pathetic, you two!" She threw her head back and laughed. "I cannot believe that you had given my master so much trouble."

Krystal looked at Kursed suddenly, her eyes glowing bright white. "I am not pathetic. We are not pathetic." She said in a dark tone. "You are the pathetic one!" She yelled as the threw Kursed out the window and onto the street outside. Kursed shook her head to clear it, and her eyes widened as she saw a car coming at her. She threw it out of the way just in time, then got up and looked Krystal in the eye.

"This is not over." She said, tearing the bumper off a nearby parked car and pointing it at Micheal and Krystal. Krystal jumped at Kursed and tore the other bumper off the car. They both swung at each other, clashing and making sparks fly. Micheal lined up a shot and fired, shooting Kursed in the arm. She screamed and threw her weapon at Micheal, who was unable to dodge it. He was hit in the legs, tripping him over and breaking his ankle. Krystal started running to Micheal's side, but was held back. Kursed had Krystal in her grasp, and threw her into a car, and then into the side of the building, then onto the ground. Krystal coughed up more blood and looked at Micheal, who was lining up another shot. He fired again, putting a hole through Kursed's ear. She screamed again and started marching towards him, furious. Micheal fired three more times, but the bullets just bounced off. Kursed picked Micheal up by the throat and squeezed hard, slamming him against the nearby wall.

"You are starting to annoy me." She said, snarling. She dropped him to the ground and was about to stomp on his head when she was sent flying into the wall, smashing through it and into another apartment's bedroom. The residents of the apartment had left, apparently, after the fight had started. Micheal looked at the hole in the wall, at Kursed's unmoving body, and then to the hole towards the street, where Krystal now shakily stood. Micheal got to his feet and fell to his knees for a moment because of his broken ankle, but he took a deep breath and stood up, then walked to Krystal.

"We gotta leave." He said, worried. "Where's my car?"

Krystal pointed to the car that was missing both bumpers. "That's it..." She said. In her battle fury, she had forgotten that it was their car. Micheal shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. It still runs, we take it." He picked Krystal up over his shoulder and hobbled to the car. He got in and put Krystal in the backseat, buckling her in for her. "Save your strength." He said, knowing Krystal had been internally wounded, because she was coughing up blood. She groaned.

"Where are we going...?" She said distantly.

Micheal bit his lip and started the car. "A friend of mine, not far from here, but out of town. He's a doctor, he'll take care of you. I promise." _I won' t let you die._ He thought.

"That's sweet of you..." Krystal muttered, hearing Micheal's thoughts. Then another thought pushed it's way inside her head.

_I failed...? Against an imitation...? Not possible...! And yet... It's happened..._

It faded away as soon as it came, but Krystal knew who it was from. "Micheal, she's not..."

Micheal nodded. "I know, I heard it too. You projected it to me from her, I think."

Krystal looked at her bloodied hands, wet from her own blood and that of Kursed. Then she coughed up some more blood and passed out.

Micheal looked at her for a second. "Dammit! Don't you die on me!" He yelled, and floored the gas pedal. He shot past car after car, nearly hitting several on the way. He took a sharp right and almost hit a building, but managed to regain control. He saw his friend's building come up and he slammed on the brakes, nearly snapping his seat belt. He got out of the car quickly and ran inside. The place was musty and looked slightly run down, with only a few light bulbs to light up the place. "Nick!" He yelled. "Nick, c'mon, where are you?"

A man wearing a white smock, a pair of glasses and smoking a cigarette walked down a set of stairs. "Micheal, you must learn not to yell at me, you know." He said in a refined tone of voice. Micheal shook his head.

"No time for formalities, I have a friend that's in critical condition." He looked outside at his car. "But she's not something you've ever seen before, I bet..."

Nick smiled. "She can't be all that different. Go bring her here." He said, obviously unaware of who Krystal was. Micheal nodded and walked outside wordlessly. He went to his car and unbuckled Krystal, then lugged her over his shoulder back to Nick. Nick's cigarette fell out of his mouth. "What IS she?" He said, fascinated.

Micheal grabbed Nick's head and turned it to face him. "I'll tell you AFTER you save her." He said in a low tone of voice.

Nick gulped and nodded. Micheal gently handed Krystal to him. "Then go do your thing." Nick ran upstairs and shut the door, indicating that he was working on her. Micheal sighed, sat on an overstuffed chair, and waited.

"She WHAT?" James yelled, making Leonard and Wolfgang cower.

"She failed, sir." Leonard said in a small tone of voice. "Her wounds are great as well. She's lucky to still be alive."

James yelled and slammed his fist against the wall. "Imbeciles! You said she was the perfect copy!"

"She is in the simulations, sir!" Wolfgang said. "But something makes her weak..."

James growled. "You find out what that is and FIX her, is that understood?" He said darkly to the two scientist brothers.

Leonard and Wolfgang both looked at each other and gulped. "Y-yes sir!" They both said, and ran off.


End file.
